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In recent years, our nation has endured a disturbing series of hate-motivated attacks. Oak Creek. Pittsburgh. El Paso. Poway. Orlando. Charleston. Atlanta. Buffalo, and more. Each one of these incidents has left communities shattered, our nation grieving and has torn at the soul of our Nation.
When ordinary Americans cannot participate in the basic activities of everyday life—like shopping at the grocery store or praying at their house of worship—without the fear of being targeted and killed for who they are, our democracy – and the very fabric of our society – is at risk.
On Thursday, September 15, President Biden will host the United We Stand Summit at the White House to counter the destructive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety, mobilize diverse sectors of society and communities across the country to these dangers, and put forward a shared, inclusive, bipartisan vision for a more united America.
Americans of all backgrounds, beliefs, and political affiliations remain overwhelmingly united in their opposition to hate-fueled violence. The United We Stand Summit will bring together Uniters from across America who are leading work in their communities to build bridges and address hate and division, including survivors of hate-fueled violence. The summit includes bipartisan federal, state, and local officials, civil rights groups, faith and community leaders, technology and business leaders, law enforcement officials, former members of violent extremist groups who now work to prevent violence, gun violence prevention leaders, media representatives, and cultural figures. The Summit will feature a national address from President Biden as well as bipartisan panels and conversations on countering hate-fueled violence, preventing mobilization to violence, and fostering unity.
We hope this summit will also include you. Communities across the country will be invited to watch the summit live and engage in a national conversation.
These Americans are working to bring their communities together across lines of racial, religious, political and other differences to prevent acts of hate-fueled violence, promote healing where such violence has had devastating consequences, and build unity.
These Uniters are everyday members of our communities and many of these Uniters are themselves survivors of hate-fueled violence who have turned their pain into purpose.
They hold our communities together and lift us up in the hardest times.
We Are Many United Against Hate
Masood Akhtar is an Indian American Muslim activist and the founder of We Are Many United Against Hate, a nonpartisan organization using outreach and intervention to address the root causes of hate, bigotry, and racism. Following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, Akhtar started organizing events to educate people and address misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. His organization helps to heal deep divides by organizing community and school panels across Wisconsin with former white supremacists, religious leaders, educators, and law enforcement, with a focus on engaging middle and high school youth who are often targeted and recruited by hate groups. Akhtar has been recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center and received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, and his name has been added to the Wall of Tolerance in Montgomery, Alabama. He believes that if people are taught to hate, they can also be taught to love.
University of California, San Francisco
Suzanne Barakat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the sister of Deah Barakat, one of the three American Muslim college students murdered in Chapel Hill North Carolina in 2015 in an Islamophobic attack. When her brother, his wife, and her sister were killed by their neighbor, Dr. Barakat emerged as a local, national, and international spokesperson against the rising tide of Islamophobia and violence targeting American Muslims. Dr. Barakat has organized local campaigns alongside the LGBTQI+, Latinx, and immigrant communities to unite her San Francisco community against hatred, xenophobia, and violence with a message of unity, love, understanding, and compassion. With Our Three Winners, a foundation created in the memory of her slain brother and sisters-in-law, she also launched a nationwide #LoveThyNeighbor campaign to counter bigotry and prejudice with simple acts of outreach, kindness, compassion, and service.
Maura’s Voice
Jeff Binkley and his late wife Margaret co-founded Maura’s Voice in the aftermath of the November 2018 shooting at a Tallahassee, Florida, hot yoga studio that took the life of their 21-year-old daughter Maura, a senior at Florida State University. FSU Medical School Professor Dr. Nancy Van Vessem was also lost and five other women were wounded in the attack, which was perpetrated by a male supremacist. In the face of this tragedy, Mr. Binkley has worked to honor Maura’s legacy and support of inclusivity by addressing hatred and violence in America through research, education, and engagement. Maura’s Voice partners with groups across the country to eradicate hate and violence in all forms, including hate based on gender and gender identity, as well as race and religion. The organization supports academic and legal research focused on hate crimes and prevention of violence against women and girls through the Maura’s Voice Fund for Research (MVFR) at Florida State University. The organization also funds initiatives to educate the public on effective policies to fight gender-based violence and support civic engagement by young women.
One America Movement
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin and Pastor Tom Breeden have worked collaboratively to build trust within Charlottesville, Virginia, and across the state after the 2017 white supremacist riot. The One America Movement, where they both now work, quietly brought them together in the aftermath of this event. In spite of their different faiths and viewpoints, Rabbi Schmelkin and Pastor Breeden were both deeply shaken by the events in Charlottesville but felt that the community lacked meaningful relationships to overcome the tragedy. Working together, they have organized local Charlottesville clergy and community leaders to bridge religious, racial, and political divides in the aftermath of the riot.
Second Lt. Richard Collins III Foundation
Dawn and Richard Collins are a couple from Maryland whose son, Lieutenant Richard Collins III, an ROTC member and undergraduate at Bowie State University, an HBCU, was murdered in May 2017, on the University of Maryland’s campus by a man who publicly embraced white supremacy. Lieutenant Collins was a model cadet, an engaged member of his church community, and a kind student to all. Since his death, has been promoted to 1st Lieutenant by the US Army. The family worked to close a loophole in Maryland’s hate crime law which is now named after their son, the 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III Law, to allow an individual to be charged with a hate crime if they were motivated either in full or in part by a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or national origin. Richard and Dawn have also formed a social justice alliance among professors and students at Bowie State and the University of Maryland, which hosts annual social and political justice symposiums to bridge gaps between the campus communities. Richard and Dawn frequently speak with survivors of all forms of hate-fueled violence and have helped establish an annual $1 million scholarship in the State of Maryland that has benefitted over 200 ROTC students at HBCUs. Before Lieutenant Collins’ death, he told his parents, “one day, the world is going to know my name.” Through these initiatives, Richard and Dawn are working to heal their own and others’ pain by ensuring Lieutenant Collins’ legacy has a lasting impact on reducing hate-motivated violence.
Second Lt. Richard Collins III Foundation
Dawn and Richard Collins are a couple from Maryland whose son, Lieutenant Richard Collins III, an ROTC member and undergraduate at Bowie State University, an HBCU, was murdered in May 2017, on the University of Maryland’s campus by a man who publicly embraced white supremacy. Lieutenant Collins was a model cadet, an engaged member of his church community, and a kind student to all. Since his death, has been promoted to 1st Lieutenant by the US Army. The family worked to close a loophole in Maryland’s hate crime law which is now named after their son, the 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III Law, to allow an individual to be charged with a hate crime if they were motivated either in full or in part by a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or national origin. Richard and Dawn have also formed a social justice alliance among professors and students at Bowie State and the University of Maryland, which hosts annual social and political justice symposiums to bridge gaps between the campus communities. Richard and Dawn frequently speak with survivors of all forms of hate-fueled violence and have helped establish an annual $1 million scholarship in the State of Maryland that has benefitted over 200 ROTC students at HBCUs. Before Lieutenant Collins’ death, he told his parents, “one day, the world is going to know my name.” Through these initiatives, Richard and Dawn are working to heal their own and others’ pain by ensuring Lieutenant Collins’ legacy has a lasting impact on reducing hate-motivated violence.
UNIDOS Bridging Communities
Miriam Vargas Corona is a proud DREAMer. She was brought to the United States by her parents as a 9-month-old infant and raised in rural Oregon. She is now the Executive Director of UNIDOS Bridging Community, a nonprofit in rural Oregon whose mission is to build bridges of understanding and support between Latino and non-Latino communities in Yamhill County. UNIDOS Bridging Community promotes full integration of the Latino community in the area and provides free citizenship classes to community members. The organization focuses on building “intentional shared relationships” between Latinos and non-Latinos to promote social cohesion. In 2018, it organized and trained 30 community volunteers, many of whom were white, to observe court proceedings and ensure that Mexican asylum seekers had legal representation in court.
Northern Arapaho Tribe
Jordan Dresser is the Chairman of the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming. Chairman Dresser has led an effort to bring awareness to, and find ways to resolve, the long-standing challenges of violence and racist attacks and the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous people (MMIP) in his community. This includes partnering with the Governor of Wyoming and other local leaders to develop a greater understanding of community needs and creating strategic plans to make communities safer. He was recently appointed to the federal government’s Not Invisible Act Commission to recommend ways to improve intergovernmental coordination and law enforcement practices to bolster resources for survivors and victim’s families. Working across community lines, Chairman Dresser has implemented a sister-city relationship between the Northern Arapaho Tribe and the City of Longmont, Colorado—the first of its kind for a Tribal Nation—to improve mutual understanding and respect between the two communities. And he has led a partnership between the Tribe and the Episcopal Church to display Arapaho cultural items held by the Church, resulting in a recently announced plan to build a museum in the heart of the Wind River Reservation so that the collection can be accessible to the community. Chairman Dresser captures and shares these stories through art and film in his work as a documentary film producer.
Anti-Hate Activist
In 2017, Taylor Dumpson became the first Black woman student body president at American University. On her first day in office, a masked individual hung bananas from nooses around campus and in her sorority. This led to a neo-Nazi website posting her personal information online and encouraging followers to threaten and harass her on social media. The incident left her with PTSD, depression, and anxiety. However, Dumpson wanted to give one of the perpetrators a second chance and agreed to settle a case against him when he agreed to denounce white supremacy, undertake anti-hate trainings, and complete 200 hours of community service. She now uses her experience to promote conversations about the ripple effects of hate crimes and how everyday people can stop hate in their communities. She is currently an Associate Counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
AAPI Youth Rising
In March 2021, Mina Fedor organized a rally in her hometown to call attention to racist violence against Asian Americans that became more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic. While she expected roughly 70 people to show up, more than 1,200 people attended. In the aftermath of that rally, at the age of 13, Mina created AAPI Youth Rising, a middle schooler-led initiative that mobilizes communities to stop the violent and racist attacks on Asian Americans. Over the past few years, Mina has dedicated herself to increasing public understanding about AAPI history. She has volunteered to teach in classrooms across the country about the impacts of xenophobia and worked with American Girl to create their first Chinese American doll, Corrine Tan, so that young girls can see themselves in a way they never have before. Mina wants to pursue a career in neuroscience while staying engaged as an activist.
Hate Won't Win Movement
In 2015, Alana Grant’s life was changed forever. Her grandfather, Reverend Daniel Lee Simmons, Sr., a beloved leader at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, was murdered in a horrific act of hatred alongside eight other African Americans at Bible study. At the bond hearing for the shooter who had killed her grandfather, she said three powerful words to the attacker: “Hate won’t win.” Alana started the “Hate Won’t Win Movement” and a non-profit to spread a message of love and tolerance and prevent further acts of hate-fueled violence. The movement encourages Americans to post on social media when they show an act of love to someone from a different background to create a more culturally cohesive society that appreciates and celebrates differences instead of allowing them to divide us. Grant has worked with school district officials in South Carolina on hate crimes prevention in schools and with the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs to support economic policies that reduce racial disparities.
Civil Rights Leader
Following the terrorist attacks on September 11th, Sikh, Muslim, and South Asian communities across the United States faced an increase in discrimination and hate crime attacks. On September 15th 2001, Balbir Singh Sodhi became the first person killed in one of these hate crimes. Valarie Kaur, his family friend, is a Sikh American civil rights leader, lawyer, award-winning filmmaker, educator, and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project. She was deeply impacted by his death and, in his memory, has led campaigns to tell untold stories and change policy on issues ranging from hate crimes to digital freedom. For two decades, she has documented hate incidents against Muslim and Sikh Americans across the country and founded Groundswell Movement, Faithful Internet, and the Yale Visual Law Project to inspire and equip advocates at the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and justice. In 2020, Valarie published See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, detailing her life as an activist working with communities recovering from xenophobic attacks and journey to heal from personal experiences with hatred and violence. In 2021, she led the People’s Inauguration, inspiring millions of Americans to renew their role in building a healthy, multiracial democracy. Today, the Revolutionary Love Project is creating networked communities of practice across the country, equipping people with the practical tools to build the beloved community.
Multi-Faith Neighbors Network
When Americans can begin to relate to others who think differently and find common ground, we can build empathy. That idea led Pastor Bob Roberts, Imam Mohamed Magid, and Rabbi David Saperstein to found Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, an organization that brings together Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religious leaders to build strong ties and respect across faith traditions. They believe that building stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable relationships with people from different religious, cultural, and social backgrounds is the key to dismantling hate and fostering unity. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network now works in over 20 cities across the country to bring diverse clergy together and hosts retreats with members from churches, mosques, and synagogues to create an open dialogue about participants’ religious backgrounds and dispel false narratives. The participants share meals with each other and engage in community-based projects to confront their biases and build mutual understanding through service. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network retreats have helped reach over half a million people across the globe build resilient communities.
On August 5, 2012, a gunman unleashed a horrific attack on the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, killing seven people. Lieutenant Brian Murphy, an officer with the Oak Creek Police Department, was the first responder on the scene, was shot a total of 15 times. He nearly died. His heroism that day helped save countless lives. Laying in the hospital after the massacre, Lieutenant Murphy turned on the television and saw faith leaders from the gurdwara calling for peace and forgiveness. Lieutenant Murphy says that the power of their forgiveness struck him like lightning and changed the course of his life. He believes that he was saved from death that day to become an agent of change who brings people together and to increase public acceptance and understanding about the Sikh faith. In the decade since the Oak Creek attack, Lieutenant Murphy estimates that he has trained 75,000 law enforcement officers across the country about the Sikh faith to dispel stereotypes and help other police officers see their commonalities with Sikh people. Lieutenant Murphy has remained close to the Sikh community in Oak Creek, including by mentoring people who have pursued careers in law enforcement.
In 2015, Murphy was awarded the Medal of Valor by then Vice President Biden. After 20 years with the Oak Creek Police Department, Murphy joined the company that made the bulletproof vest that saved his life. In addition to his work with the Sikh community, he supports other officers who have been shot in the line of duty in their healing and recovery.
Multi-Faith Neighbors Network
When Americans can begin to relate to others who think differently and find common ground, we can build empathy. That idea led Pastor Bob Roberts, Imam Mohamed Magid, and Rabbi David Saperstein to found Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, an organization that brings together Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religious leaders to build strong ties and respect across faith traditions. They believe that building stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable relationships with people from different religious, cultural, and social backgrounds is the key to dismantling hate and fostering unity. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network now works in over 20 cities across the country to bring diverse clergy together and hosts retreats with members from churches, mosques, and synagogues to create an open dialogue about participants’ religious backgrounds and dispel false narratives. The participants share meals with each other and engage in community-based projects to confront their biases and build mutual understanding through service. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network retreats have helped reach over half a million people across the globe build resilient communities.
Multi-Faith Neighbors Network
When Americans can begin to relate to others who think differently and find common ground, we can build empathy. That idea led Pastor Bob Roberts, Imam Mohamed Magid, and Rabbi David Saperstein to found Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, an organization that brings together Muslim, Jewish, and Christian religious leaders to build strong ties and respect across faith traditions. They believe that building stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable relationships with people from different religious, cultural, and social backgrounds is the key to dismantling hate and fostering unity. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network now works in over 20 cities across the country to bring diverse clergy together and hosts retreats with members from churches, mosques, and synagogues to create an open dialogue about participants’ religious backgrounds and dispel false narratives. The participants share meals with each other and engage in community-based projects to confront their biases and build mutual understanding through service. Multi-Faith Neighbors Network retreats have helped reach over half a million people across the globe build resilient communities.
Heartland Church
Rev. Dr. Scheske has dedicated his life to bridging divides between diverse communities. In 2001, Scheske founded Heartland Church, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, interdenominational church in Fishers, Indiana, just 20 minutes north of the birthplace of the KKK. He is a founding member of the Fisher Council on Race and Equity (Fishers CORE) and of the Greater Indiana Multifaith Alliance (GIMA). Through this work, he piloted a program of small groups to build bridges of trust across racial cultures called “Be the Bridge” with the goal of training 5,000 people over the next five years. In the years following 9/11, he focused this work on developing relationships of respect and trust with the local Islamic community and was the only Christian minister invited to give remarks at the dedication of their first Masjid in Fishers, Indiana in 2021.
One America Movement
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin and Pastor Tom Breeden have worked collaboratively to build trust within Charlottesville, Virginia, and across the state after the 2017 white supremacist riot. The One America Movement, where they both now work, quietly brought them together in the aftermath of this event. In spite of their different faiths and viewpoints, Rabbi Schmelkin and Pastor Breeden were both deeply shaken by the events in Charlottesville but felt that the community lacked meaningful relationships to overcome the tragedy. Working together, they have organized local Charlottesville clergy and community leaders to bridge religious, racial, and political divides in the aftermath of the riot.
Matthew Shepard Foundation
In October 1998, Dennis and Judy Shepard lost their 21-year-old son Matthew after he was brutally attacked in an anti-gay hate crime outside of Laramie, Wyoming. In the aftermath of Matthew’s death, Judy and Dennis started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor his life and aspirations. Motivated by the tragedy they endured, they have dedicated their lives to sharing Matthew’s story to stand up against hate and remind individuals, organizations, and communities about the power of acceptance. The Matthew Shepard Foundation supported the country’s first federal hate crimes legislation that includes protections for the LGBTQI+ community, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. Judy has also authored a memoir entitled, “The Meaning of Matthew,” which explores the family’s journey through the prosecution of Matthew’s assailants and the ensuing media coverage of their work to advance civil rights. As parents of a child victimized by violence, Dennis and Judy bring authenticity and relevance to the impact of hate, while reminding us all about the importance of replacing hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.
Matthew Shepard Foundation
In October 1998, Dennis and Judy Shepard lost their 21-year-old son Matthew after he was brutally attacked in an anti-gay hate crime outside of Laramie, Wyoming. In the aftermath of Matthew’s death, Judy and Dennis started the Matthew Shepard Foundation to honor his life and aspirations. Motivated by the tragedy they endured, they have dedicated their lives to sharing Matthew’s story to stand up against hate and remind individuals, organizations, and communities about the power of acceptance. The Matthew Shepard Foundation supported the country’s first federal hate crimes legislation that includes protections for the LGBTQI+ community, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. Judy has also authored a memoir entitled, “The Meaning of Matthew,” which explores the family’s journey through the prosecution of Matthew’s assailants and the ensuing media coverage of their work to advance civil rights. As parents of a child victimized by violence, Dennis and Judy bring authenticity and relevance to the impact of hate, while reminding us all about the importance of replacing hate with understanding, compassion, and acceptance.
Civil rights activist
Carmina Taylor is an Organizational Development Practitioner at Health Spark Foundation and a community leader in Pennsylvania who organizes Civic Saturdays, conversations that build bridges and trust between community members from different walks of life. She believes we are better off when we listen to one another, are open to different perspectives, and “coalesce around what it means to be a U.S. citizen.” Carmina is the founder of the “We Can’t Wait” Pennsylvania Statewide Coalition for Racial Equity and the Movement for Black and Brown Lives of Montgomery County, PA. Through her work as the President of the Ambler Branch of the NAACP, she has worked with 14 Montgomery County Police Departments to create engagement plans that help close the divide between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.
American Voices: United We Stand
Welcoming Remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris
Introduced by Brandon Wolf
Moment of Silence
Faith leaders Rev. Eric S. C. Manning, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker,
Ms. Mandeep Kaur, and Imam Osama Salah Hassan whose houses of worship have been attacked, alongside Rev. Dr. Walter Kim who will preside over a moment of silence to honor the lives lost.
American Voices: Civil Rights Leaders on the Crisis we Face
The State of Hate-Fueled Violence in America
Exiting Hate
Lunch
American Voices: Conversations Across Differences
Closing Performance
Today, at the White House, President Biden is hosting the United We Stand Summit to counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety. The Summit will honor the resilience of communities who are healing from hateful attacks, including mass shootings, from Oak Creek to Orlando, Charleston, Pittsburgh, El Paso, Atlanta, Buffalo, and beyond. The Summit will put forward a shared vision for a more united America, demonstrating that the vast majority of Americans agree that there is no place for hate-fueled violence in our country, and that when Americans stand united to renew civic bonds and heal divides, we can help prevent acts of hate and violence. Today’s Summit is just the beginning of this work and every American has a role to play in this cause. Today at the Summit, President Biden will rally a whole-of-society response to prevent, respond to, and recover from hate-fueled violence, and to foster national unity.
New Actions by the Federal Government
To help meet these challenges, the Administration will take new steps, including the following:
Actions to strengthen federal coordination on preventing, confronting, and recovering from hate-motivated violence and fostering unity
The White House Initiative on Hate-Motivated Violence established today will strengthen interagency coordination in preventing and responding to hate-motivated violence, leverage federal research and resources, and enhance engagement and consultation with diverse stakeholders, including communities targeted for who they are or what they believe.
Actions to help prevent hate-fueled violence
Actions to improve the federal response when violence occurs and to help communities recover
Actions to promote civic renewal and foster national unity
In addition to the executive and agency actions outlined above, President Biden is calling on Congress to enact substantially increased investments in national service and civics education, which are vital to strengthening our social fabric and forging a deeper sense of common purpose and national unity.
President Biden also calls on Congress to build on the landmark public safety legislation he signed over the last year, including the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, with new legislation to make the country safer by helping to prevent hate-motivated violence.
New Actions from Non-Federal Public and Private Institutions to Foster Civic Unity
President Biden understands that addressing hate-based violence takes an all-of-society effort. That is why it is so important to have engagement from non-federal public and private institutions to prevent, respond to, and recover from hate-fueled violence, and to build bridges and foster greater social cohesion:
As part of this effort to gather inputs from Americans of all regions and backgrounds, the Citizens’ Initiative will host virtual and in-person public listening sessions this fall, with details to come in the weeks ahead. The public – especially individuals in communities that have suffered hate-motivated violence – are invited to share their experiences and recommendations for addressing this shared challenge at Dignity.us.
After several months of this learning, the Citizens’ Initiative will develop a set of recommendations and drive the implementation of a plan of action “from the nation, for the nation,” with a focus on greatly scaling effective community-based efforts. This effort is supported by a diverse group of foundations, including the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Democracy Fund, Ford Foundation, Kettering Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Stand Together, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and more than 40 community foundations across the country.
Commitments from the Technology Sector: As the President and Vice President have underscored, technology plays a critical and necessary role in Americans’ lives, but advancements in digital technologies, including social media and other online platforms, have also led to unintended consequences—including the spread of violent extremist ideologies and mobilization to violence—for which the technology sector must bear responsibility. Americans know how the internet can fuel hate, misogyny, and abuse with spillover effects that threaten the safety of our communities offline. Today’s announcements from the tech sector take a step towards recognizing the important role companies play in designing their products and platforms to curb the spread of hate-fueled violence both online and off.
Communities across the country are invited to watch the summit live, engage in a national conversation about standing together against hate-fueled violence, and use the summit as a launch pad for local service and bridge-building.
